Summary:
Zip code 29148, serving the Summerton area of South Carolina, is home to just one elementary school, Dr. Rose H. Wilder Elementary, which serves grades PK through 5 and is part of the Clarendon 06 school district.
As the only elementary school in the area, Dr. Rose H. Wilder Elementary is the default choice for local families, and it offers some notable advantages. The school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.7:1, which supports more individualized attention, and it invests heavily in its students with per-pupil spending of $19,297 annually. Academically, the school shows a clear strength in 3rd grade, where math proficiency reaches 70.3% and English Language Arts hits 67.5%, both exceeding state averages. However, there is a sharp decline in 4th grade, with math proficiency dropping to 37.8% and science falling to just 27.0%, both well below state benchmarks. This pattern suggests a possible transition challenge between grade levels that parents should be aware of as their children advance.
Looking at the bigger picture, the school has been on a steady upward trajectory in its state ranking, improving from the 40th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 43rd percentile in 2025-2026, though it remains a two-star school. One concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 25.8%, meaning about one in four students misses significant instructional time—this is better than the district average of 29.4% but still higher than the state's 22.3%. The school also experiences notable year-over-year swings in test scores, likely due to its small enrollment of 241 students, where individual classroom dynamics can heavily influence results. While the high spending and low student-teacher ratio provide a solid foundation, the school's biggest opportunities for improvement lie in 4th grade science and math, along with addressing attendance issues to ensure consistent learning.
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